April 21, 2003
The following is jointly issued by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority:
As at 1 pm today (April 21), there is an additional 22 patients confirmed to have atypical pneumonia following admission to public hospitals earlier. They include six healthcare workers (two from Princess Margaret Hospital, two from Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole, one from Queen Elizabeth Hospital and one from Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital). The remaining 16 were other patients and contacts of patients with atypical pneumonia.
A total of 436 patients have recovered from atypical pneumonia and have been discharged from public hospitals. Of them, 27 were discharged today.
Most of the patients currently in hospital are showing positive responses to the new treatment protocol. One hundred and five patients are receiving treatment in intensive care unit.
Six patients died in Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH), Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH), and United Christian Hospital (UCH). This brought to 94 the total number of deaths relating to atypical pneumonia.
The six deceased, aged from 48 to 79, include two men and four men who all have a history of chronic disease. Their information is as follows:
| Hospital | Patient's gender | Age |
| KWH | female * | 58 |
| male * | 79 | |
| PWH | male * | 78 |
| male * | 56 | |
| PMH | female * | 76 |
| UCH | male * | 48 |
| * denotes patient with a history of chronic diseases |
The cumulative figure for patients who have been admitted to public hospitals with atypical pneumonia since March 12 is as follows:
| Nature | Cumulative Number | Total No. of Discharged Patients |
Total No. of
Deaths * |
| Health care workers of Hospitals/Clinics and medical students | 321 | 120 | 94 |
| Patients, family members & visitors | 1081 | 316 | |
| Total | 1402 | 436 |
| * |
Most of the deaths occurred in individuals who have a history of chronic diseases, or were patients who sought treatment at a relatively late stage of infection. |